This is Siemens first A-class dryer, with a completly new base design.
TL;DR: If you don't plan on using VarioSpeed all to frequently and can live with 3h drying times, I don't think you'll find a better dryer.
The "nerd" review:
Quality is - as with the washer - as good as you'd expect. The new filter design is a bit annoying as it forces you to take out both filters every time you want to clean the inner filter.
The main reason that annoys me is the fine filter being coated in mostly dust. Getting stuff off of it dry without getting it everywhere is impossible.
The door is 100% plastic, insinde and out. That dosen't feel as low quality as it sounds, even though it's baffling to me the door hook is metal and the front cover is 150€ as a spare part even though it's just plastic, not glass. What IS an issue is static: On this particular model, the front plastic is kinda almost piano black looking, and the entire door is so staticy, dust clings to it and is immediatly visible. Which is kind of a bummer given every time you try to clean the fluff out there's a minor dust cloud.
But drum and controls do feel way higher quality than the VZug -the VZug dryer REALLY isn't worth its price compared to this.
And HOLY SMOKES this thing is quiet. Sitting at my desk, with the bathroom door open, my 45db Miele DW 1m from my ear is SIGNIFICATLY more audible than the dryer about 3m away.
With zippers and such, the dryer is basically inaudible.
I was standing in front of the dryer the first time and thougt, it would ramp up the fan motor at some point, or speed up the drum - only to realise it was already running.
With Speed selected, the compressor is almost annoingly noisy compared to the rest of the dryer.
With that selected, there is a high pitched electronic noise I can hear - I think that's kinda like with old tube TVs that younger people will hear that, most older people probably not.
The condensate pump however could almost be consideren noisy - but it only runs during the self cleaning and maybe once or twice during the cycle.
And then there is the star of the show: This thing is PACKED with inverters.
Compressor, drum motor, the SEPERATE fan motor and even the condensate pump.
And it does just not tangle ANYTHING. A full load if jeans, sweat pants and hoddies? No issue. Bedding, regardless of what mixed wiht what in which size? No issue.
Most cycles do 5min symetrical tumbling. Cottons does start reversing about 15-20min into the cycle when the first full sensing is done and time is adjusted. Most other cycles start right away.
The Bedding cycle does take 3min for sensing before doing 40sec one way, 10sec the other, for the entirety of the cycle.
Sensing is also done really well. I did not have to adjust ANY drying levels in the settings.
Now, the topic of economy and cycle times.
By default, it is not quick - but by no means slow. I dried 40 T-Shirts, with some underwear and 3 pairs of shorts, spun at 1600rpm, on Cottons Cupboard dry, as default, and it was done in about 3h15min, using only .9kWh. Temps never really got above 50C (guessing by checking the temp of the air path cover in the back with my infrared thermometer, and it topped out at 45C approx.).
Most cycles start with sensing. Fan and drum motor use between 80 and 110W, depending on load size.
Then, the compressor starts ramping up to about 300W total machine power. After a very short time, the compressor rpm is again lowered and the total machine power ends up somehwere between 210 and 250W, depending on temp.
You do see the power creeping up slowly as the temp rises, but in default mode, it usually does not end up above 300W.
I then did a comparison test with some towels on the towels cycle.
The loads were basically the same - the only difference was that one towel of the same size was of similar quality, but from a different brand.
Without Speed, that load took about 2:30h on Towels as it comes defaulted, and used about .6kWh.
With Speed, the load took almost exactly half the time - but used 50% more energy. Drying result was basically the same.
But, VarioSpeed does NOT care about clothing care or energy usage. Regardless of cycle (from the ones I tried), it ramps the compressor in steps up to 550W total machine power. That quickly climbs to 850W as the machine heats up - and that does happen in about 30min. If the power is consitently above 850W (machines rated power draw) it does step down the compressor speed slightly as needed and then ends up at about 750W.
And temps get AT LEAST 20°C higher. The highest temp reading I got off of the air path was near 70C - so easily 75°C air coming into the drum. And not only towards the end of the cycle, but 30min in.
I personally don't care about cycle times in the 3h range, especially with such a quiet machine. Having the option to speed up the occasional load is great.
If you do care about cycle times and think you'll use the Speed option frequently, you might end up with a more gentle, equally fast and slightly more efficent version with a C-class dryer from BSH, that's also a few hundred bucks cheaper.
But - at least sub 1000€ - this dryer is AMAZING.
It is about 10% more efficent than my B-rated VZug, it does not tangle, it is quieter than any dryer I ever used. And it's not a 4h dryer - at most a 3h dryer.
I would gladly say that - as long as you don't need very fast drying regularly - this DEFINETLY a buy recomendation.
TL;DR: If you don't plan on using VarioSpeed all to frequently and can live with 3h drying times, I don't think you'll find a better dryer.
The "nerd" review:
Quality is - as with the washer - as good as you'd expect. The new filter design is a bit annoying as it forces you to take out both filters every time you want to clean the inner filter.
The main reason that annoys me is the fine filter being coated in mostly dust. Getting stuff off of it dry without getting it everywhere is impossible.
The door is 100% plastic, insinde and out. That dosen't feel as low quality as it sounds, even though it's baffling to me the door hook is metal and the front cover is 150€ as a spare part even though it's just plastic, not glass. What IS an issue is static: On this particular model, the front plastic is kinda almost piano black looking, and the entire door is so staticy, dust clings to it and is immediatly visible. Which is kind of a bummer given every time you try to clean the fluff out there's a minor dust cloud.
But drum and controls do feel way higher quality than the VZug -the VZug dryer REALLY isn't worth its price compared to this.
And HOLY SMOKES this thing is quiet. Sitting at my desk, with the bathroom door open, my 45db Miele DW 1m from my ear is SIGNIFICATLY more audible than the dryer about 3m away.
With zippers and such, the dryer is basically inaudible.
I was standing in front of the dryer the first time and thougt, it would ramp up the fan motor at some point, or speed up the drum - only to realise it was already running.
With Speed selected, the compressor is almost annoingly noisy compared to the rest of the dryer.
With that selected, there is a high pitched electronic noise I can hear - I think that's kinda like with old tube TVs that younger people will hear that, most older people probably not.
The condensate pump however could almost be consideren noisy - but it only runs during the self cleaning and maybe once or twice during the cycle.
And then there is the star of the show: This thing is PACKED with inverters.
Compressor, drum motor, the SEPERATE fan motor and even the condensate pump.
And it does just not tangle ANYTHING. A full load if jeans, sweat pants and hoddies? No issue. Bedding, regardless of what mixed wiht what in which size? No issue.
Most cycles do 5min symetrical tumbling. Cottons does start reversing about 15-20min into the cycle when the first full sensing is done and time is adjusted. Most other cycles start right away.
The Bedding cycle does take 3min for sensing before doing 40sec one way, 10sec the other, for the entirety of the cycle.
Sensing is also done really well. I did not have to adjust ANY drying levels in the settings.
Now, the topic of economy and cycle times.
By default, it is not quick - but by no means slow. I dried 40 T-Shirts, with some underwear and 3 pairs of shorts, spun at 1600rpm, on Cottons Cupboard dry, as default, and it was done in about 3h15min, using only .9kWh. Temps never really got above 50C (guessing by checking the temp of the air path cover in the back with my infrared thermometer, and it topped out at 45C approx.).
Most cycles start with sensing. Fan and drum motor use between 80 and 110W, depending on load size.
Then, the compressor starts ramping up to about 300W total machine power. After a very short time, the compressor rpm is again lowered and the total machine power ends up somehwere between 210 and 250W, depending on temp.
You do see the power creeping up slowly as the temp rises, but in default mode, it usually does not end up above 300W.
I then did a comparison test with some towels on the towels cycle.
The loads were basically the same - the only difference was that one towel of the same size was of similar quality, but from a different brand.
Without Speed, that load took about 2:30h on Towels as it comes defaulted, and used about .6kWh.
With Speed, the load took almost exactly half the time - but used 50% more energy. Drying result was basically the same.
But, VarioSpeed does NOT care about clothing care or energy usage. Regardless of cycle (from the ones I tried), it ramps the compressor in steps up to 550W total machine power. That quickly climbs to 850W as the machine heats up - and that does happen in about 30min. If the power is consitently above 850W (machines rated power draw) it does step down the compressor speed slightly as needed and then ends up at about 750W.
And temps get AT LEAST 20°C higher. The highest temp reading I got off of the air path was near 70C - so easily 75°C air coming into the drum. And not only towards the end of the cycle, but 30min in.
I personally don't care about cycle times in the 3h range, especially with such a quiet machine. Having the option to speed up the occasional load is great.
If you do care about cycle times and think you'll use the Speed option frequently, you might end up with a more gentle, equally fast and slightly more efficent version with a C-class dryer from BSH, that's also a few hundred bucks cheaper.
But - at least sub 1000€ - this dryer is AMAZING.
It is about 10% more efficent than my B-rated VZug, it does not tangle, it is quieter than any dryer I ever used. And it's not a 4h dryer - at most a 3h dryer.
I would gladly say that - as long as you don't need very fast drying regularly - this DEFINETLY a buy recomendation.
